Inking-roller carriage for printing-presses



w. J. RAMSA|ER..

INKING ROLLER CARRIAGE FOR PRINTING PRESSES.

APPLICATION Fl LED DEC.15, i916- RENEWED FEB. 7, 1920.

Patented Mar. 30, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR 2 W. J. RAMSAIER.

INKING ROLLER CARRIAGE FOR PRINTING PRESSES. APPLICATION FILED 050.15. 1916- RENEWED FEB-7,1920.

1,334,964. I Patented Mar. 30, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J A M /f a Q 33 .39 34 20 I g; 53 KT a2 amvemfoz w. I. RAMVSAIER.

INKING ROLLER CARRIAGE FOR PRINTING PRESSES. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 15. I916- RENEWED FEB-7,1920.

1,334,964. Patented Mar. 30, 1920.

3 sHE'ETs-sHEEr 3.

5 wvamtoz @51 M @ttozue WILLKAM J". RAMSAIER, F YORK, N. Y.

INKING-ROLLER CARRIAGE FOR PRINTING-PRESSES.

inst-meet.

Application filed December 15, 1916, Serial No. 137,118. Renewed February V, 1920. Serial No. 357,014.

To all whom it may concern lie 1 known that l, WILLIAM J. RAMSAIER,

, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and ldtate of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in l nking-Roller Carriages for Print mg-Presses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in that class of printing presses in which the type or printing surface is held on a bed and the printing platen is carried by a rocking bridge. The inking rollers are mounted in a carriage which is normally at the top of the type bed and is moved down across the face out the printing surface and back to its normal position while the bridge and the printing platen are moved away from the type bed. This type of press is generally known as the universal platen printing press. The invention is applicable to any form of press having a printing platen and wherein the inking roller carriage is moved across the face of the printing surface or type bed.

()ne of the main objects of this invention is to so mount the inking rollers in the carriage that they will not contact with the printing surface during the downward movement of the carriage, but will be released at the lower end of the carriage move ment to apply ink to the printing surface as the carriag g'e is moved upwardly to its normal ink-receiving position.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide n'ieans whereby any one, or all, of the inking rollers may be permitted to contact with the printing surface during both the downward and upward movements of the carriage.

Another object of the invention is to provide means whereby the inking roller bearings may he moved outwardly to permit of the ready removal and replacement of the inking rollers.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the inking rollers will be automatically locked out of engagement with the printing surface during the down ward movement of the carriage, and will be released as the carriage starts its upward movement, so that ink will be distributed over the printing surface only during the upward movement of the carriage.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 30, 1920.

"tion tiled in the United titates Patent Otlice on July 29, 1916, said application being serially numbered 111,999, and is designed especially to be used in conjunction with the type and construction of printing press shown in my said application.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side eleva tion (IE the inking roller carriage, showing the parts in the positions which they assume when the carriage is at the upper limit of its movement and in position to receive ink;

Fig. 2 a siniilarview showing the inking roller bearings thrust forward to permit of the removal oi the inking rollers;

Fig. 3 a horizontal. sectional view through the carriage frame, on the line Ill-III of Fig. 1;

Fig. at a front elevation of the carriage with the parts arranged as shown in. Fig. i;

Fig. 5 a side elevation of the carriage showing the parts arranged in the positions which they assume when the carriage is near the limit of its downward movement;

Fig. 6 a detail vertical sectional view showing the means for mounting one of the changer rolls in the carriage;

Fig. 7 a detail view showing the means for reciprocating the carriage, the carriage being near the limit of its downward movement, the parts thereof being in the position .hown in Fig. 0;

8 a detail side elevation of a portion of the carriage track; and

Fig. 9 a detail front view of that portion of the carriage track shown in Fig. 8.

Referring to the various parts by numerals, 1 designates the main driving shalt. On this shaft is secured a disk 2 which carries a crank pin 3, on which is mounted the rear end of a forwardly extending bridge operating link t. The inking roller carriage, as shown and described in my herein-mentioned application, is operated through the rocking ot' the bridge, said rocking motion being transmitted to the carriage through the carriage operating arms I) and links 6. lit ,will, oi? course, he understood that any suitable means may be employed for reciprocating the arms 5 and links 6 to secure the proper up-and-down motion of the carriage,

The inking roller carriage consists of the side frames 7, connected at their upper ends by the cross bar 8. These frames fit outside of the carriage tracks 9. The frames 7 carry, on their inner sides, guide rollers 10 which fit and slide in grooves 11 formed in the outer sides of the carriage tracks 9. Each side frame of the carriage is provided with two guide rollers, one near the upper end of said frame and the other near the lower end thereof, both of said guide rollers fitting and running in the adjoining guideway 11. Each side frame of the carriage is provided, on its forward face, with the recesses 12 to receive journal boxes 13 adapted to receive the shafts of the inking rollers 14. Each journal box is formed with a groove in its upper surface, to receive the ournal of the roller, and the upper wall of each recess 12 serves as a means for maintaining the roller journals in their proper places in the journal boxes, when said boxes are in their normal positions in the recesses 12. The journal boxes are adapted to slide on the upper and lower walls of the recesses 12, as will be more fully hereinafter described. Each journal box is provided with a rigid, rearwardly extending guide rod 15, and around said rod and bearing between the rear surface'of the side frame and a pin in the end of the shaft, is a coil spring 16, said s rin tendin to force the uide rod rearb b D wardly and thereby draw the journal box into its recess 12. As shown in the drawings, the carriage is provided with three inking rollers, each roller being mounted in a pair of journal boxes.

On the shaft of each inking roller is mounted a pair of bearing wheels 17, one of said wheels being near each side frame, as shown clearly in Fig. These bearing wheels are arranged to travel on the tracks 9. The bearing wheels of each inking roller are not in the same vertical plane with the bearing wheels of. the adjoining roller or rollers, the bearing wheels of the upper inking roller being nearest the side frames of the carriage, while the bearing wheels of the lower inking roller are the greatest distance from said side frames. This arrangement of the bearing wheels is shown clearly in Fig. 4.

Each of the tracks 9, near its upper end, is formed with the forwardly and upwardly extending enlarged portion 9 and, above said enlarged portion, with the depression 9 The enlarged portion of the track is formed with depressions 9 and 9 as shown clearly in Figs. 8 and 9. lVhen the carriage is at the limit of its upward movement the bearing wheels 17 rest in the depressions 9 9 and 9 as indicated by dotted lines A in Figs. 8 and 9. The positions which the parts of the carriage assume when the bearing wheels are in the said depressions of the track, are shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, in which the journal boxes are shown in their inner positions within the recesses 12. In this position of the carriage the inking rollers are in position to receive ink from the rolls of the ink fountain. When the carriage starts its downward movement through the operation of the arms 5 and the links 6, the bearing wheels move out of their depressions in the track, and forward to the straight face of the enlarged part 9, as indicated by the dotted circles marked BBB in Fig. 8. This forces forward the inking rollers and the journal boxes thereof. In this position the inking rollers are forward of the vertical plane of the printing surface, and if said rollers be locked in the said forward position they will not contact with the printing surface during the downward movement of the carriage. This locking of the inking rollers in their forward position must, however, take place before the bearing wheels leave the enlarged portion of the track 9. It is manifest that if the bearing wheels are permitted to ride on the track 9 during the downward movement of the carriage, the inking rollers will be drawn inwardly by means of the springs 16 and will be caused to engage the printing surface.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide automatically operating means for locking the inking rollers out of engagement with the printing surface during the downward movement of the carriage. To accomplish this, locking plates 18 are slidably mounted on the outer side of each of the side frames 7 of the carriage. Each of these plates is supported by means two studs 19 which project outwardly from the side plates of the frame through slots 20 in the locking plates, one of said studs being located near the upper end of the locking plate and the other being located near the lower end thereof. Each slot 20 is formed with an upwardly and forwardly inclined portion 20, and with the upwardly extending look ing portion 20 at the forward end of the portion 20 said portion 20" being parallel with the front face of the locking plate; and with a downwardly extending locking portion 20 at the rear end of the portion 20. this latter portion being also parallel with the front face of the locking plate. The portions 20 and 20 are locking portions in which the studs 19 engage when the locking plate is secured in either its forward or its rearward position. As shown in Fig. 5, the studs are in the locking portion 20", thereby locking the plate in its rearward position. while in Fig. 2 the studs are engaged in the locking portion 20, thereby securing the locking plate in its forward position, in of which will be more fully hereinafter described.

Each journal box is provided with a dellll tachable rigid spacing finger 21, which eX- tends rearwardly, each of said fingers normally projecting into a recess 22 formed in the forward edge of the locking plate. Each locking plate, at the ends of the recesses 22, is formed with looking lugs 23 which are adapted to engage the rear ends of the spacing fingers 21 to hold and lock the journal. hoses and the inking rollers in their forward position, as clearly shown in Figs. and i of the drawings. When the carriage starts on its downward movement and the bearing wheels are in the position shown by the dotted circles ll--BB of 8, the locking plates are free to drop by gravity to the limit of the locking portions of the slots 20. This movement of the locking plate brings the locking lugs in position to engage the rear ends of the spacing fingers, as here tofore described and as shown in Figs. 5 and 7. its the carriage continues its downward movement the springs 16 draw the spacing lingers against the lugs of the locking plate, and the inking rollers are held away from the printing surface during the downward l'i'lOVBlllGlll] of the carriage.

lllach of the locking plates is formed at its lower end with a releasing cam which is adapted to be engaged by a pin 24 carried by the adjacent link 6. l l hen the carriage nears the limit of its downward movement the link 6 is swung rearwardly by the operating arm 5, and in this rearward movement it engages the cam. 25 and forces the locking plate upwardly. This upward movement of the plate frees the locking lugs from the spacing fingers 21 and permits the springs 16 to draw inwardly the ournal bones and the inking rollers. This inward movement of the journal boxes brings the bearing wheels 17 into engagement with the track 9, and the inking rollers are then in a position to engage the printing surface during the upward movement of the can riage. its the carriage nears the limit of its upward. movement links 6 are swung rearwardly and pins 24; again engage cams 25 and prevent the locking plates moving downwardly when the bearing wheels 17 ride up and over the enlarged portions of the tracks 9. By thus holding the locking plates in their upper positions the bearing wheels may move into the recesses 9 9 and 9 of the track. This permits the inking rolls to move inwardly to a position to receive a supply of ink from the fountain rolls.

'lhelockinglugs .43) are connected together on their inner faces by a vertical. flange 26 which is adapted to bear against the inner sides of the journal boxes when said "boxes are in their normal. inner position, as shown clearly in Fig. 1. lll hen it is desired to remove the inking rollers from the journal bones the said boxes must be thrust forward out of the recesses 12 in the carriage side frames. lo accomplish this a release lever 27 is pivoted on the outer side of each of the side frames of the carriage, near the upper end thereof. The operating arm 27 of this lever entei'lds upwardly from its pivot, and the lower end of said lever is connected by a stud 28 to the adjoining locking plate 18. This stud passes through an angular or elbow slot 29, one branch of said slot. loeing substantially vertical and extending parallel with the rear edge of the locking plate, the other branch thereof extending inwardly and downwardly from the lower end of the said vertical portion. l l hen it is desired to throw the journal boxes forward for the purpose of removing the inking rollers, the upper ends of the releasing levers are moved rearwardly, thereby throwing forwardly the locking plates and causing the flanges 26 to move the journal bones forwardly against the tension of the springs 16. This position of the parts is shown clearly in Fig. 2. The slots 20 an d the elbow slots 29 permit of this forward movement of the lOCklIlg plates.

The spacing lingers 21 are detaohably connected to the journal bones, so that whenever it may he desired to have one or more of the inking rollers engage the printing surface during the downward movement of the carriage, said fingers may be readily removed, or turned to such a position that they will not engage the locking lugs 23 of the locking plates. 'When these spacing fingers are removed or placed in an inoperative position, the bearing wheels will follow the track 9 and will engage the printing surface (hiring the up-and-down movement of the carriage.

Secured to each locking plate is a locking pawl 30, said pawl being in position to he turned into engagement with one of the studs 19 to prevent the vertical sliding move ment of the locking plate. This renders the locking plates inoperative so that all of the inking rollers will engage the printing surtace during both the downward and the upward movements of the carriage. lit is obvious, therefore, that through the manipulation of the spacing fingers 21, one or more of the inking rollers may be caused to enthe printing surface during both the downward and upward movements of the carriage; and through the manipulation of the locking pawl 30 the locking plate may be rendered inoperative and all of the inking rollers he caused to engage the printing surface during the downward and upward movements of the carriage. lVith the spacing fingers all in operative position as shown in the drawings, and the locking pawl out of operative position, all of the inking rollers will he held out of engagement with the printing surface during the downward movement of the carriage, and will be released and permitted to engage the printing surface during the upward movement thereof.

On the tracks 9 are secured outwardly ex tending releasing pins 31 which are adapted to be engaged by the upper arms of the releasing levers when said levers are thrown rearwardly, as illustrated in Fig. 2. These pins serve as means to throw the releasing levers to their normal positions should the carriage bemoved downwardly, with the journal boxes and the releasing levers in the position shown in Fig. 2.

011 the shafts of the two lower inking rollers are mounted square boxes 32. Engaging these two boxes are the jaws 33 of yokes 3 f. Formed on each yoke is a forwardly extending bearing box 35, in which is mounted a journal box 36. Each journal box is provided with an inwardly extending guide stem 37, and this stem is surrounded loy a coil spring 38, said spring drawing the journal box inwardly. Mounted in these journal boxes are the journals of a changer roll 39, the springs 38 holding the said changer roll in contact with the two adj oining inking rollers, as shown clearly in Figs. 4: and 6. When the journal boxes of the inking rollers are thrown forwardly, as indicated in Fig. 2, said rollers may be removed from their boxes, thereby permitting the removal of the changer roll from the inking roller shafts.

The upper cross bar 8 of the carriage, and the shaft of the upper inking roller, are provided with boxes similar to boxes 32, and mounted on said boxes are yokes 40. The yokes 40 carry journal boxes in which are mounted journals of a changer roller 41, said journals and changer roller being similar to the roller 39 and its journal boxes.

What I claim is:

1. Form inking mechanism for platen printing presses comprising an inking roller carriage, means for reciprocating the carriage past a form, a plurality of inking rollers mounted in the carriage and movable independently of each other relatively to the carriage into and out of alinement with the surface of the form, means for normally looking all of the rollers out of alinement with the surface of the form during movement of the carriage past the form inone direction, means whereby said locking means may be rendered inoperative as to any or all of the rollers, and means for releasing the locked rollers to permit all of the rollers to enga e the form during the return movement 0 the carriage.

2. Form inking mechanism for platen presses comprising an inking roller carriage, means for reciprocating the carriage past a form, a plurality of inking rollers mounted in the carriage and movable independently of each other relatively to the carriage into and out of alinemcnt with the surface of the form, independent means tor norn'ially moving the rollers in the carriage into alinemcnt with the surface of the form, automatically operable locking means adapted to normally lock all of the rollers out of alinement with the surface of the form duringmovement of the carriage in one direction, means whereby said locking means may be rendered inoperative as to an or all of the rollers at will, and means for automatically actuating said locking means to release the locked roller or rollers to permit all the rollers to contact with the form during the return movement of the carriage.

3. Form inking mechanism for platen presses comprising an inking roller carriage, means for reciprocating the carriage past a form, a plurality of inking rollers mounted in the carriage and movable independently of each other relatively to the carriage into and out of alinement with the surface of the form, independent means for normally mo ving the rollers in the carriage into alinement with the surface of the form, a shiftable locking member mounted on the carriage, independent devices movable with the rollers and adapted to normally coiiperate with said locking member to hold. all of the rollers out of alinement with the surface of the form during movement of the carriage in one direction, means for automatically shifting said locking member to cause the same to engage said devices during movement of the carriage in one direction and to release said devices to permit all the rollers to contact with the form during movement of the carriage in the opposite direction, and means whereby any or all of said devices may be shifted out of coiiperative relation with the locking member.

4. Inking mechanism for printing presses comprising a carriage, means for reciprocating the carriage aast a printing surface, inking rollers shiftably mounted in the carriage, independent means for normally holding each roller in. inkingposition on the carriage, means for shifting all of the rollers out of inking position at one end of the movement of the carriage, an automaticall operating gravity device adapted to normally lock all of the rollers in their shifted positions and hold the same out of inking position during movement of the carriage in one, direction past the printing surface. manually operable means tor rendering the gravity device ineffective to lock any or all of the rollers in their shifted positions, and means for automatically shifting the gravity device to release all locked-out rollers before they are carried past the form by movement of the carriage in the opposite direction.

5. Inking mechanism for printing presses comprising a carriage, means for reciprocatll l lflii l ll ing the carriage past a printing surface, inking rollers shiftably mounted. in the carriage, independent means for normally holding each roller in inking position on the carriage, means for shifting all of the rollers out of inking position at one end of the movement of the carriage, an automatically operating gravity locking device mounted on the carriage, independent devices movable with the rollers and adapted to normally engage the gravity device when said device is in locking position and cooperate therewith to hold the rollers out of inking position, means whereby any one or more of said devices may be shifted out of cooperative relation with the gravity device, and means for automatically shifting the gravity device to locking and releasing position respectively at opposite ends of the movement of the carriage.

6. inking mechanism for printing presses comprising a carriage, means for reciprocating the carriage past a printing surface, inking rollers shiftably mounted in the carriage, independent means for normally holding each roller in inking position on the earriage, means for shifting all of the rollers out of inking position at one end of the movement of the carriage, an automatically operating gravity locking device n'iounted on the carriage, independent devices movable with the rollers and adapted to normally engage the gravity device when said device is in locking position and cooperate therewith to hold the rollers out of inking position, means whereby any one or more of said devices may be shifted out of cooperative relation with the gravity device, means for automatically shifting the gravity device to looking and releasing position re spectively at opposite ends of the movement of the carriage, and manually operable means for locking the gravity device in releasing position against movement by its shifting means.

7. An inking mechanism for printing presses comprising a carriage, journal boxes slidably mounted in said carriage to move inwardly and outwardly, inking rollers mounted in said boxes, means for moving the carriage vertically in front of a printing surface, independent springs for normally forcing the rollers inwardly, means for automatically moving the rollers outwardly when the carriage is adjacent its uppermost position, a pair of locking pl ate, shiftably held to the carriage, inwardly projecting arms carried by the journal boxes adapted to be engaged by the outer encs of spaced projections on said locking plates when said plates are shifted to locking position, means for automatically shifting the locking plates to locking position when the carriage begins its downward movement and for automatically shifting said plates to releasing position as the carriage approaches the limit of its downward movement, and means operable at will to lock said plates in releasing position against movement by said automatic plate shifting means. a

8. An inking roller carriage for printing presses comprising a frame, inking rollers mounted therein, means for reciprocating said carriage over the printing surface, means for locking the inkingrollers out of operative position while the carriage is moving in one direction, and adjustable means for rendering the inking roller locking means inoperative.

9. An inking roller carriage comprising a frame, a plurality of spring-pressed journal boxes therein, inking rollers mounted in said journal boxes, means for vertically reciprocating the carriage over the printing surface, means at the upper end of the movement of the carriage to move the springpressed journal. boxes outwardly, an automatically operating locking plate to engage said boxes and hold. them in their outer posi' tion during the downward movement of the carriage, means at the lower end of the movement of the carriage to engage and move said locking plate to release the journal boxes, whereby said boxes will return to their normal inner positions for the upward. movement of the carriage, and adjustable means for rendering the locking plate inoperative. v

10. An inking roller carriage for printing presses comprising a frame, inking rollers mounted therein, means for reciprocating said carriage over the printing surface, means for locking the inking rollers out of operative position while the carriage is moving in one direction, and adjustable means for renderin the inking roller looking means inoperative as to one of the inking rollers.

11. An inking roller carriage comprising a frame, a plurality of spring-pressed journal boxes therein, inking rollers mounted in said journal boxes, means for vertically reciprocating the carriage over the printing surface, means at the upper end of the movement of the carriage to move the springpressed journal. boxes outwardly, an auto matically operating locking plate to engage said boxes and hold them in their outer position during the downward movement of the carriage, means at the lower end of the movement of the carriage to engage and move said locking plate to release the journal boxes, whereby said boxes will return to their normal inner positions for the upward movement of the carriage, and adjustable means for rendering the locking plate inoperative as to one of the journal boxes.

12. An inking mechanism for printing presses comprising a carriage, inking rollers slidably mounted in the carriage to move outwardly and inwardly, an upwardly and downwardly swinging carriage-operating arm, a vertically arranged link connecting the freeend of said arm with the carriage, means for shifting the rollers outwardly when the carriage begins to move downwardly, a gravity locking plate slidably held to the carriage and having locking faces nal boxes therein, inking rollers mounted in 7 said journal boxes, means for vertically reciprocating the carriage over the printing surface, means at the upper end of the movement of the carriage to move the spring-pressed journal boxes outwardly, rearwardly extending spacing fingers carried by the journal boxes, an automatically operatinglocking plate, locking lugs formed on said plate at its forward edge and adapted to engage the spacing fingers on the Y ournal boxes when said boxes have been moved outwardly, and means at the lower end of the movement of the carriage to engage and move said locking plate to release the spacing fingers from the locking lugs.

14; An inking roller carriage comprising a frame, a plurality of springpressed j ournal boxes therein, inking rollers mounted in said ournal boxes, means for vertically reciprocating the carriage over the printing a surface, means at the upper end of the movement of the carriage to move the springpressed journal boxes outwardly, rearwardly extending spacing fingers carried by the journal boxes, an automatically operating locking plate, locking lugs formed on 7 said plate at its forward edge and adapted to engage the spacing fingers on the jour- I nal boxes when said boxes have been moved outwardly, a flange along the forward edge of said locking plate adapted to engage the journal boxes, and'means secured to the carrlage for thrusting sald locking plate forwa'rdly to free the inking rollers from the carriage frame.

'15. The combination of an inking roller carriage frame, inking rollers mounted therein, bearing wheels mounted on the shafts of said inking rollers, tracks for said bearing wheels, said tracks being formed with forwardly extending enlargements at their upper ends, said enlargements having depressions therein to receive the bearing wheels, an automatically operating locking plate to lock the inking rollers forward out of inking position when the bearing wheels engage the said enlarged portions of the tracks, means for reciprocating the carriage on the tracks, and adjustable means for rendering the locking plate inoperative.

16. The combination of an inking roller carriage frame, inking rollers mounted therein, a vibrating operating arm, a link connecting said arm with the inking roller carriage frame, a releasing pin in said link near the upper end thereof, an automatically operating locking plate mounted on the carriage and adapted to lock the inking rollers forward out of inking position, and a cam formed on said locking plate near the lower end thereof and adapted to be engaged by the releasing pin when the our riage nears the limit of its downward movement.

17. An inking roller carriage comprising a frame, a plurality of spring-pressed ournal boxes therein, inking rollers mounted in said journal boxes, means at the upper end of the movement of the carriage to move the spring-pressed journal boxes outwardly, rearwardly extending spacing fingers carried by the journal boxes, an automatically operating locking plate, locking lugs formed on said plate at its forward edge and adapted to engage the spacing fingers on the journal boxes when said boxes have been moved outwardly, an operating arm, a link connecting said arm to the carriage frame, a releasing pin on said link near the upper end thereof, and a downwardly extending cam formed on the locking plate and adapted to be engaged by the releasing pin to release the locking plate when the earriage nears the limit of its downward move ment;

18. An inking roller carriage comprising carriage frames, a plurality of inking rollers, journal boxes for said rollers, means for yieldingly holding the journal boxes in the carriage frames, means for forcing said journal boxes outwardly to release the ink ing rollers from the carriage frames, a pair of yokes removably mounted upon the shafts of adjoining inking rollers, a yieldably mounted journal box in each of said yokes, and a changer roll mounted in said journal boxes and engaging the inking rollers.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

WILLIAM J. RAMSAIER. 

